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J. G. SLAVENS.

I smrrms BOX. APPLICATION FILED NOV- In I915- Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

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JAMES G. SLAVENS, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

SHIPPING-BOX.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Application filed November 1, 1915. Serial No. 59,064.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, J AMES G. SLAvENs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping- Boxes, of which the following is a full, true, and exact specification.

My invention relates to improvements in shipping boxes and has for its principal ob ject to provide a box for shipping purposes in which the lid is sealed with respect to the body of the box but which may be readily raised enough to permit of a visual inspection of the contents without breaking the seal.

Another object is to provide means for holding the lid to the box in such a way as to allow of its being raised slightly without the removal of the lid or any fastenings.

In shipping many forms of produce, flowers and the like as well as some manufactured articles, it is frequently necessary to inspect them at their destinations or en route, such as customs inspection. It is also desirable that such goods be sealed and remain sealed so as to avoid theft and tamperingwith them. Further the time consumed, breakage of boxes and injury to produce and goods caused from opening and refastening of the boxes in entirely obviated with my device.

Other objects will appear as the invention is more fully explained in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan of my improved box or case with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail of the fastening means. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of a plate which fastens to the lid of the box.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, numeral 1 indicates the ends of a box, 2 the sides and 3 a lid. The ends 1 are centrally bored from the top downward as at 4 to receive the lid fastening device which includes a bolt 5 having a spiral spring 6 around it. The lower end of the spring is retained at the lower end of the bolt by a washer 7 and at its upper end by a flush plate 8 which is secured to the upper edge of the box end 1 and which is perforated to allow the bolt 5 to pass through it. The tendency of the spring 6 is to draw the bolt down into the opening 4. Both ends of the box are similarly equipped with the lid fas-' tening device and both ends of the lid are similarly equipped to receive the fastening device. A key 9 passes horizontally through the bolt 5 above the flush plate 8. Key 9 is perforated as at 10 to receive a seal wire, lock or other fastening means. A plate 11 having a flanged edge 12 and an upstanding seal strip 13, which is cut from the body of the plate and turned up, is fastened one to each end of the lid 3. The flanged edge 12 its down over the end of the lid. Both the lid and the plate are slotted as at 14 and 15 respectively to receive bolt 5 and to allow the lid to be removed when the bolt is turned so that the key 9 is within said slots. A handle 16 is provided for each bolt.

The operation of my box is as follows: The bolts are turned so that the keys are in line so that the lid may be set down over the bolts and keys. The bolts are then lifted and rotated a half turn until the keys lie against the seal stops 13 and rest upon the plates 11. Seals 17 or any other fastening means may be passed through holes 10 in the seal strips and keys. The spring action of the bolts keeps the lid down tightly onto the box. When it is desired to inspect the contents of the box one end of the lid may be raised to the limit of compression of spring 6 and one may look under the lid and into the box. The .distance which the lid can be raised is limited in the construction of the box so that the contents thereof cannot be pulled out under the lid or a hand inserted. 1

My box would be particularly well adapted to use in shipping produce and the like which requires that the lid be open to the air during shipment.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I therefore desire to avoid being limited to the exact form shown and described.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is-- 1. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a box open at the top, with a loose lid adapted to cover the said opening in the said box, means for normally holding the lid in contact with the top of the box and for limiting the distance which said lid can be raised While said means is in a holding position, and means for looking or sealing said holding means with respect to the lid, whereby the lid may be slightly raised from the box for the purposes of inspection of the contents of the box but not enough to permit of removal of said contents Without releasing said lock or sealing means; the first mentioned means including spring retained bolts slidable to a limited extent with respect to the box, keys secured to said bolts and adapted to cooperate with sealing strips on the lid.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box open at the top, with a loose lid having slots in either end and adapted to fit the open top of said box, spring retained bolts set in either end of said box and adapted to project through the slots in said cover, the bolts having a limited longitudinal movement against the resistance of their retaining springs and a free rotary movement, wherebv the lid may be slightly raised from the box, perforated keys passing through said bolts near the upper ends thereof and adapted to pass through the slots in the ends of the cover when rotated a half turn to cooperate with perforated sealing strips on the lid and to hold the lid down tightly against the top of the box, sealing means adapted to pass through the perforations of the keys and sealing strips, whereby the keys and bolts are prevented from being rotated so as to allow the cover to be removed from the box but do not prevent a slight raising of the cover and bolts to permit of inspection of the contents of the box.

JAMES G. SLAVENS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

